By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has described Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential ambition under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as dead on arrival, saying the latest commendation of President Bola Tinubu by Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, has further exposed the emptiness of the governor’s presidential project.
Governor Mohammed, who is the national leader of APM, publicly acknowledged that President Tinubu has “done so well” in several areas, particularly finance, health and security.
A statement by Director Media and Publicity for Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), Bisi Oladele said for the pillar of Makinde’s own political camp to be truthful in publicly acknowledging the achievements of the President spoke louder than all the contrived rhetoric coming from the Makinde presidential campaign.
“The question Nigerians should now ask is simple: if one of the principal promoters of Makinde’s presidential ambition truthfully admits that President Tinubu is doing well, what exactly is the justification for Makinde asking Nigerians to replace the President?
“The contradiction is glaring. Governor Mohammed deserves commendation for having the courage to acknowledge the truth rather than engaging in opposition for opposition’s sake.
“His remarks merely confirm what millions of Nigerians can increasingly see: President Tinubu’s reforms are producing results, strengthening the fiscal position of states and enabling governments at the subnational level to undertake development projects.
“For Governor Makinde, however, the political message could not be clearer. His presidential campaign is collapsing under the weight of its own contradictions before the real contest has even begun.
“We have always maintained that Makinde’s so-called presidential ambition appears less like a serious pathway to Aso Rock and more like a political bargaining chip designed to enhance his negotiating position in the unfolding 2027 political equation,” the SSACO said.
Alli noted that Makinde’s candidacy is increasingly becoming clearer as a smokescreen for negotiation, more like an attempt to arrive at the political bargaining table claiming a national following that simply does not exist.
“How does a candidate seriously expect Nigerians to believe he can defeat an incumbent president when prominent leaders within his own political family are publicly applauding that President’s performance?
“Even more instructive is the fact that Governor Mohammed had previously endorsed Makinde and described him as the leader Nigeria needed. His latest acknowledgement of President Tinubu’s performance therefore raises legitimate political questions about the cohesion, conviction and sustainability of the so-called coalition behind Makinde.
“Makinde may continue to erect billboards, commission campaign offices and make grandiose declarations about “resetting” Nigeria, but politics is ultimately about structures, numbers, credibility and alliances.
“A presidential candidate whose own political allies are validating the achievements of the incumbent has a serious credibility problem,” the campaign organisation said.
The Alli Campaign Organisation, therefore, advises Governor Makinde to concentrate on accounting for his stewardship in Oyo State and preparing for the transition of power in 2027 rather than using an improbable presidential project to distract the people from the issues confronting his administration.
“The people of Oyo State are more interested in his legacy —the state’s debt profile, the condition of the local economy, infrastructure, education, healthcare and the welfare of workers—than in a presidential adventure whose political foundations are already crumbling.
“Governor Makinde is free to aspire to the highest office in the land. That is his constitutional right. But he should not mistake ambition for viability, publicity for popularity or political bargaining for a genuine national movement,” the statement added.
